Types of Complementary and Natural Medicine

 

Integrative medicine is a set of medical treatments for cancer and complementary treatments to deal with the symptoms and side effects. You might sometimes hear integrative medicine called complementary and natural medicine or CAM. Sadly, there are no true "alternatives" to cancer treatment.

Some people with cancer may be inclined to consider using "complementary treatment" in addition to basic cancer treatment. Complementary treatments are utilized to:

Decrease the negative effects of cancer treatment

Enhance physical and psychological wellbeing

Enhance healing from cancer

Talk with your health care team before attempting or including any complementary therapies to your standard treatment. They can assist you securely integrate such treatments that are right for you. When you talk about complementary therapy with your health care group, and they agree that it is safe for you to try as part of your overall cancer care, this is called "integrative medicine."

 

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Complementary and natural medicine includes therapies such as acupuncture, tai chi, massage, and drinking green tea.

CAM or Complementary and alternative medicine is a term given to medical practices that are not part of basic healthcare. Individuals with cancer may utilize CAM to:

Help handle the negative effects of cancer treatments, such as queasiness, discomfort, and fatigue.

Comfort themselves and alleviate the concerns of cancer treatment and related stress

Feel that they are doing something to aid with their own care

Try to treat or cure their cancer

Integrative medicine is a technique to medical care that integrates standard medicine with CAM practices that have been revealed through science to be safe and efficient. This technique frequently stresses the patient's choices, and it tries to attend to the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of health.

The basic treatment is practiced by health experts who hold an M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (physician of osteopathy) degree. It is practiced by other health experts as part of a care team, such as physical therapists, doctor assistants, psychologists, and signed-up nurses. Conventional medicine may also be called biomedicine or allopathic, Western, mainstream, or orthodox medicine. Some basic medical care specialists are likewise specialists of CAM.

 

Complementary medicine is used alongside standard medical treatment however is ruled out by itself to be a basic treatment. One example is using acupuncture to help lower many of the side effects of cancer treatment.

Alternative medicine is a type of medicine that is used instead of standard medical treatment. One example is utilizing a unique diet to treat cancer instead of cancer drugs that are prescribed by an oncologist.

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Types of Complementary and Natural Medicine

Scientists learn about CAM treatments on an ongoing basis, but there is always more to discover. Some of the therapies listed below still require more research study to prove that they can be handy. If you are unclear, you should discuss your thoughts about utilizing CAM with your health care company before using the treatments listed below.

People might use the term "natural," "holistic," "home remedy," or "Eastern Medicine" to refer to CAM. Nevertheless, specialists frequently use five categories listed below:

 

Mind-Body Therapies

These combine breathing, mental focus, and body movements to help relax the body and mind. Some common examples are:

Biofeedback: Using simple makers, the client finds out how to affect particular body functions normally out of one's awareness (such as heart rate).

Meditation: Focused breathing or repeating words or phrases to calm the mind.

Tai Chi: Includes slow, gentle movements with a focus on the breath and concentration.

Hypnosis: Comprises a state of focused and relaxed attention in which an individual concentrates on a certain sensation, idea, or idea to help in recovery.

Yoga: Sequence of stretches and motion, with special attention given to breathing.

 

 

Images: Thinking of images or experiences to assist the body recover.

Creative outlets: Interests such as music, art, or dance.

Biologically Based Practices

This type of CAM uses things discovered in nature. Some examples are:

 

Dietary supplements.

Botanicals, which are parts of plants.

Herbs and spices such as cinnamon or turmeric.

Unique foods or diet plans.

 

Manipulative and Body-Based Practices.

These are based on working with parts of the body. Examples include:.

Massage: Soft tissues of the body are tapped, kneaded and stroked.

Chiropractic treatment: A type of body manipulation of the spine, joints, and the skeletal system.

Reflexology: Using pressure points in the feet or hands to affect other parts of the body.

Biofield Treatment.

Biofield therapy, often called energy medicine, involves the belief that the body has energy fields that can be utilized for recovery and wellness. Therapists apply pressure or move the body by placing their hands in or through these fields. Some examples are:.

Healing touch: Moving hands over the body's energy fields of

Reiki: Balancing energy either from a range or by placing hands on or near the patient.

Holistic Medicine Systems.

These are holistic medicine healing systems that have actually developed over centuries in different parts of the world. Some examples are:.

Traditional Chinese medicine: This ancient system is based upon the belief that health is achieved in the body with a balance of 2 forces called yin and yang.

Ayurvedic medicine: This system originated in India in which the objective is to cleanse the body and to help restore the balance to the body, mind, and soul.

Acupuncture is a typical practice in Chinese medicine that includes promoting specific points on the body to promote health, or to lessen treatment side effects.

Homeopathy: Utilizes really small dosages of substances to set off the body to recover itself.

Naturopathic medicine: Uses various methods that help the body naturally heal itself. An example would be herbal treatments.

 

The Safety of CAM.

Some CAM treatments have actually gone through cautious examination and have actually been discovered to be normally safe and reliable. These consist of acupuncture, yoga, and meditation to name a few. There are others that may not work, might be hazardous, or might communicate adversely with your medications.

Natural Does Not Equal Safe.

CAM therapies include a wide variety of nutritional products and botanicals, such as herbal and dietary supplements, and vitamins. These products do not have to be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before being sold to the public. Also, a prescription isn't required to buy them. It's up to you to decide what's finest for you. Some pointers to remember:.

Inform your medical professional if you're taking any dietary supplements, even vitamins, no matter how safe you believe they are. This is really important. Despite some claims that something has actually been used for years, it does not prove that it's safe or effective. This is especially true when combined with your medicines.

It's common for people with cancer to have concerns about various foods to eat during treatment. Yet it is necessary to understand there isn't just one food or unique diet that has actually shown to manage cancer. Talk with your doctor about what you must be eating.